Optimizing Sales Strategies in the Foodservice Industry: Insights and Best Practices

You’ve probably heard the same old sales techniques for years—cold calling, social media, mass emailing. But let’s be honest; those tactics feel a bit outdated now, don’t they? It’s time to shake things up.

In this article, we will talk about fresh sales strategies in the foodservice industry. We’ll look at how successful businesses boost their sales with fresh, modern techniques.

Let’s find out what’s driving growth today.

Top 7 Sales Strategies for Food & Beverage Businesses

Here are the top sales strategies businesses like yours use to get ahead.

1. Build Partnerships with Food Establishments

Foodservice isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s a relationship that can continue for years, if not decades. That’s why it’s so important to focus on building partnerships that go the distance.

You want to be the go-to supplier your buyers rely on, not just for a single order but for years to come.

So, how do you actually do that?

• Listen to Their Needs: Restaurants face unique challenges, such as staffing issues, fluctuating demand, and supply chain hiccups. You want to be the partner who understands their pain points and works to fix them. Start by asking the right questions and actually listening to what they say.
• Consistency is Key: If you say you’ll deliver fresh produce every Monday at 8 a.m., you better be there at 7:59 a.m. Building trust starts with doing what you say you’ll do every single time. Reliability is worth its weight in gold.
• Be Their Go-To Expert: You want to be more than just another vendor. Position yourself as the go-to expert for everything they need in your niche. When they think of the problem, they’ll think of you—and that’s how you stay top of mind.

Brizo FoodMetrics is a market intelligence tool that helps you understand what food establishments are available in your service area and what they sell. You can also check their positive reviews, ensuring you only do business with thriving companies.

For instance, Brizo highlights valuable insights for businesses looking to build partnerships with food establishments (as shown below).

The tool lists bakeries in a specific service area, providing key data points like visibility, vitality, and reputation scores. For example, “Batch Baked Goods” scores 67 for visibility, 28 for vitality, and 78 for reputation, indicating how active and well-known the establishment is online.

Additionally, Brizo offers details on the services and amenities, the types of meals offered, and customer reviews from platforms like DoorDash, Google, and Grubhub.

2. Optimizing Sales Prospecting

Inaccurate, missing, or outdated foodservice market data can slow down your entire sales process. This is where many food suppliers and manufacturers struggle to fully understand their total addressable market.

But with Brizo’s restaurant database, you can change that completely, reducing your prospecting time by up to 75%.

Let’s say you’re a supplier of premium kitchen equipment and want to target only high-end restaurants. With Brizo, you can set a filter for establishments that have a minimum menu price of, say, $50 per plate. Now, instead of spending hours or days trying to figure out which restaurants fit your profile, Brizo delivers those exact leads right to your dashboard.

Or imagine you manufacture organic food products and want to focus on health-conscious restaurants. Brizo allows you to search for a target audience that specifically highlights organic or farm-to-table offerings.

Take PreciTaste, for example. They use Brizo to easily find and target specific restaurant segments. For example, when they want to sell their AI tool that cuts down on food waste to burrito and sub shops, Brizo helps them find restaurants that focus on fresh ingredients. They can reach out to the right places, pitch the perfect solution, and close the deal faster.

3. Offer Flexible Pricing or Contracts

Some restaurants have steady traffic year-round, while others are more seasonal or unpredictable. Your job is to meet them where they are, not force a one-size-fits-all approach.

Here are a few ways to offer flexible options:

• Tiered Pricing: Not every restaurant has the same budget. Offering a tiered pricing model gives them choices. Small businesses may get a discount for bulk orders, or larger establishments get bonuses for being loyal.
• Subscription Models: This works especially well for distributors. Instead of a restaurant placing orders whenever they need, you can set them up with a monthly or quarterly subscription.
• Pay-As-You-Go Options: Some businesses might hesitate to commit to long-term contracts, especially if they’re trying out new products. Offering a pay-as-you-go plan can lower the barrier to entry.
• Early Payment Discounts: Here’s a trick that benefits both sides. Offer restaurants a discount if they pay early. This improves your cash flow and rewards them for staying on top of payments.

4. Provide Value-Added Services

One great way to offer more value is through training. Provide hands-on guidance or video tutorials if you’re supplying new foodservice technology. Show the restaurant staff how to get the most out of what they’ve purchased from you.

Another smart move? Offer troubleshooting support. Sometimes, Things go wrong—equipment breaks down, or a product isn’t performing as expected. Be the first one they call when they need help. Quick, reliable support builds strong, long-term relationships.

Another powerful strategy is offering insights based on data. You can pitch a restaurant by saying, “Hey, I noticed that XYZ restaurant down the street just added this trending dish to their menu, and it’s been flying off the shelves. You might want to consider including something similar.”

5. Emphasize Local and Sustainable Products

Sustainable food products are more in demand than ever, and it’s a trend that’s not going anywhere. People want to know where their food comes from, how it’s made, and that it’s not harming the planet in the process. As a supplier or manufacturer, this gives you a golden opportunity to stand out by focusing on local and eco-friendly options.

Restaurants are looking for ways to lower their carbon footprint, and if you can help them do that, you’ll be their go-to partner.

Even small tweaks in your supply chain can make a big difference. Plus, when you pitch these options to your buyers, you will be selling a story of sustainability that they can then pass on to their potential customers.

6. Data Enrichment

Data enrichment is the process of enhancing, refining, and updating the information in your CRM or database to ensure it’s accurate, relevant, and comprehensive.

For foodservice businesses, this is essential because outdated or incomplete data can hinder your ability to properly segment your market, target the right prospects, and make informed decisions.

Our foodservice market insight platform does exactly that—keeps your CRM fresh, accurate, and always verified. Plus, it integrates directly with systems like Salesforce, so you can pull in real-time, verified data right into your workflow. No more guessing, no more old data, just clean, reliable info to help you grow.

7. Simplify Ordering and Communication

No one wants to jump through hoops just to get the products they need. The easier you make the ordering process, the more likely they are to keep coming back.

Your clients should always know how to reach you, and it shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth. Set clear communication channels—whether that’s via email, text, or even a dedicated customer service app. You don’t want to leave them wondering if their order went through or when it will arrive. And if you can offer real-time order tracking, you’re already ahead of the game.

Conclusion

The old-school tactics just don’t work like they used to. If you want to stay ahead, you need to think differently. Build strong relationships, offer flexible pricing, and make it easy for your customers to do business with you.

Brizo can make all of this easier. It’s a powerful tool that gives you real-time data on the food establishments in your area. You’ll know exactly who’s doing well and what they need.

Why take shots in the dark when you can have all the info you need at your fingertips? It’s time to work smarter. Get started with your free trial today!